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| |    Automobile Safety: An Overview by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Kathryn Clark, M.D., F.A.A.P. From that first trip home from the maternity ward, automobile safety is sure to be one of your primary concerns as a new parent. After all, it is relatively standard--if not legally mandated-- in hospitals across the United States that newborns not be released unless their proud parents are equipped with an appropriate infant car seat. While this is a definite step in the right direction, automobile safety does not become any less important when your infant graduates from his rear-facing car seat. When it comes to cars and kids, there's a lot for you to know--and to teach your child-- to help keep the whole family safe. How big is the problem? According to health statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, car crashes are the leading cause of death by injury in children and adults between the ages of 1 and 34 years. Although seatbelts clearly have been proven to save lives, almost half of passengers under the age of five years who were killed in automobile accidents were unrestrained. Equally concerning, less than an estimated 10 percent of all four- to eight-year-olds are secured in booster seats. As children become teenagers, the potential risks by no means lessen--thousands of teenagers are killed in traffic accidents each year at a rate more than double that of the rest of the driving population. What you can do From the day you strap in your first car seat until you consider your child to be a seasoned driver, you should emphasize the importance of automobile safety. Practice safe driving yourself by not becoming distracted when your children are bickering in the back or allowing yourself to speed just because the rest of your life is fast paced. And when it comes to your child, you should stay informed about how to best ensure your child's safety in and around cars at every stage of his development--from car seats to airbags to crossing the street. Always place your child in an age-appropriate car seat or other safety restraint, and teach him that when it comes to cars, safety is of the utmost importance. For school-age children, appropriate use of booster seats and seatbelts is as important inside the car as learning parking lot safety and following pedestrian safety rules when outside the car. And when it comes to teens, maintaining an open line of communication and arming yourself with the facts will allow you to discuss driving safety issues and rules most effectively.
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